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readingqueerly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was really fun. I don't know what it is, but queer historical fiction just always hits the spot for me. Add in a main character who is implied to be neurodivergent and aroace and I'm a happy boi.
This book was certainly dramatic as hell. Sometimes a bit too much for my taste, but that's just because I found it hard to really understand the big feelings some of these characters were experiencing all the time.
The main character was at certain moments definitely relatable to me in the way that he thinks he should live his life and the way he had so much trouble identifying how he should feel and what he is feeling and what all of it means. Definitely made me think just a little of some moments in other books with ace and aro representation that hit do close to home, especially when romance and marriage and a relationship is something so widely desired by many and almost expected from society.
This read really quickly and while I think it could have been shorter, I didn't mind the length either. (Not that it's very long to begin with.) Also each and every character is queer and that's just a win if you ask me.
Graphic: Sexual content and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood
galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ll be honest, I’m more inclined to categorize this ‘historical fiction’ as a fantasy instead. Hall notes at the beginning of the book that linguistic liberties are taken, and just about everyone in the book is queer. This is not an exaggeration. Valentine leaves his comfortable world that operates precisely as one would expect a gray-and-drab-1800’s-England to operate, and he stumbles into this explosive, colorful, high-octane alternate reality that shakes the foundation of everything he thought he knew to be true.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny and Death of parent
ohheyitskaitlin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Gun violence and Gaslighting
Minor: Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Blood, Violence, Confinement, and Misogyny
breadbees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Classism, Cursing, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Misogyny
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Grief, Blood, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Outing, and Abandonment
shaipanda's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It’s so over the top and so insane but in all the best ways imo
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Abandonment and Confinement
Minor: Death of parent
pey333's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Sexism
purplepenning's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
The grumpy/sunshine combo is gold. I disagree with reviewers who felt Bonny Mr. Sunshine was overly mean to His Grace Valentine Grumpy Pants, but he was certainly in an unenviable position between his best friend and sister, His Grace, and his own, you know, precarious existence. And while a zero to 100 relationship for a demisexual main character doesn't quite work for me, I also disagree that His Grace was "just fine the way he was, oh em gee, just leave him alone already." He was not quietly content — he was miserably unaware and misguided and headed for further misery. Most of the side characters are great, though the satirized gothic heroine sister is just grating. And the plot is, well, a careening mess that's somewhat too driven by the bullying sexism of the day, anachronistic overcorrections, and aro understandings clashing with gothic dramatics, but mostly it's just a vehicle for fun shenanigans in the countryside. It's all undeniably over the top, British, queer, chaotic, funny, annoying, graphic, and sometimes genuinely touching and lovely.
Graphic: Sexual content and Gun violence
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Cursing, Kidnapping, Bullying, Confinement, and Sexism
Minor: Body shaming, Classism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Animal death
There are also a couple of key scenes (very sweet) that feature bees, and some brief talk/imaginings of spidersaromarrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
alphacenterin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, and Misogyny
mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Gun violence
Minor: Blood